Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for the fireproof lead-through of lines, cables, pipes and the like through openings in walls. The device has a frame-shaped housing for a number of cuboidal packing pieces, which comprise two sealing elements with cross-sectionally semi-cylindrical inserts inserted in them, whereby the diameters of the through-channels are adaptable to different diameters of lines, cables, pipes and the like, the inserts being formed on their inner side with at least approximately semi-annular ribs and on their outer side with semi-annular ribs and with semi-annular grooves located between the ribs, and the sealing elements being formed on their inner side with likewise at least approximately semi-annular ribs and grooves which are equal and opposite to the semi-annular grooves and ribs provided on the outer side of the inserts.
German published patent application DE 196 02 76 A1 discloses devices for the fireproof leading-through of lines and the like, wherein a plurality of packing pieces formed with through-channels are arranged. In this case there is the requirement for the lines inserted in the through-channels to be sealed to prevent smoke fumes from passing through. To meet this requirement, it is known from that reference to provide sealing elements with through-channels differing in the size of their diameter. However, this makes it necessary to have access to a very large number of differently formed packing pieces, from which the one with a through-channel of the required diameter must be selected in each case.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,930 B1 and the corresponding international PCT publication WO 97/36 356 also disclose packing pieces which comprise two mutually assigned sealing elements, which are formed in each case with a semi-cylindrical recess, each sealing element being formed with four tabs. The tabs can either be removed or be placed into the semi-cylindrical recess, whereby the packing pieces can be adapted to a large number of lines of different diameters.
Although the requirement for adaptation to lines differing greatly in diameter can be satisfied by a small number of such packing pieces of different sizes, these packing pieces are disadvantageous because they lead to a considerable wastage of material.
European patent EP 429 916 B1 also discloses a packing piece which likewise comprises two mutually assigned sealing elements formed with semi-cylindrical recesses, a large number of removable inserts being located in the recesses. To bring about an adaptation of the size of the through-channel to the cross section of the lines, various numbers of inserts can be removed from the through-channel.
That prior art packing piece is likewise disadvantageous because it causes very great material loss. Moreover, it is very labor-intensive because, depending on the diameter of the respective line or the like, it is necessary for a lesser or greater number of inserts to be removed.
British published patent application GB 2 204 922 A also discloses a packing piece which comprises two sealing elements with cross-sectionally semi-cylindrical inserts inserted in them, the inserts being formed on their inner side with at least approximately semi-annular ribs and on their outer side with semi-annular ribs and with semi-annular grooves located between the ribs, and the sealing elements being formed on their inner side with likewise at least approximately semi-annular ribs and grooves which are equal and opposite to the semi-annular grooves and ribs provided on the outer side of the inserts.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a sealing element for a device for the fire-proof lead-through of a line through an opening in a wall which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which improves a packing piece of the above type to the extent that it can be used and is fully effective for different diameters of lines, cables and the like.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a device for the fireproof lead-through of a line device through an opening in a wall, comprising:
a cuboidal packing piece formed of two sealing elements and cross-sectionally semi-cylindrical inserts inserted in the sealing elements;
the inserts being formed, on an inside thereof, with at least approximately semi-annular inner ribs and, on an outside thereof, with semi-annular outer ribs and with semi-annular grooves between the outer ribs;
the sealing elements being formed, on an inside thereof, with at least approximately semi-annular ribs and grooves
configured to mesh with the semi-annular grooves and outer ribs on the inserts;
the inner ribs of the inserts being disposed radially inside the semi-annular grooves on the outside of the inserts; and
the inner ribs of the inserts being deformable and adapted to penetrate into the semi-annular grooves on the inserts, whereby the inserts form through-channels adapted to a diameter of a respectively inserted line device inserted in the packing piece.
In other words, the objects of the invention are achieved by the inwardly protruding semi-annular ribs provided on the inner side of the inserts being located radially inside the semi-annular grooves located on the outer side of the inserts and by the ribs being deformable, whereby they penetrate into the grooves located outside lines, pipes, cables and the like of different diameters inserted into the inserts to effect adaptation to them.
Preferably, semi-annular grooves are formed between the ribs protruding from the inner side of the inserts. Furthermore, the width of the grooves of the sealing elements is preferably approximately twice the width of the ribs. According to a further preferred embodiment, depressions are provided in some of the grooves of the sealing elements. In this case it is also possible for some of the ribs protruding from the outer side of the inserts to be formed with additional projections, assigned to the depressions provided in the grooves of the sealing elements.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a sealing element for a device for the fireproof lead-through of lines and the like through openings in walls, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.